


A Boy at Home

by notkewlio



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: American Hinata, Culture Shock, Fluff, I know nothing about Japanese homes or culture and im sorry but im trying, Lots of Mcdonalds, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Trans Hinata Shouyou, Volleyball, ill be sure to give trigger warnings if they are necessary!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-05-20 00:21:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5986039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notkewlio/pseuds/notkewlio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata, a short boy with tall dreams, decides to move from America to Japan to further pursue his volleyball career. Along the way he meets the after school Volleyball team of Karasuno, a tall dark haired boy named Kageyama, and maybe falls in love with life a little bit more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!! This is chapter 1 of a fic I've been excited to start. I hope to update as often as I can, but between school and stuff I dont know how itll all work out.  
> Thanks for reading!

“So what made him decide to go to Japan?”

“Karasuno High School is the perfect place for him.”

“Ah, yes, you've said such. There have been several families that have volunteered to act as a host family through Karasuno, the one I would suggest is the Kageyama family. They would be able to support another person in their household.”  
“Oh, yes, you’ve told me they are a lovely family.”

“They are. Very small family. Their only son, Tobio, however, is very.. um, standoffish.”  
“Hinata will be fine. He’s a social butterfly, not bothered by much.”

“Well, I send you both the best of luck.”

“Thank you.”

* * *

 

“Uwah, what a pretty place!”

“Hinata, we’ve barely left the train station.”

“I know that!” Hinata pushed his lip out in a pout. “Just because you’ve seen Japan before doesn’t mean it’s not new to me, Mom.”

Hinata’s mother laughed. “Yes, yes, I know. Just wait until you see some of the nature parks in the city. Come on, let's get lunch. There might be a McDonalds over there.”

 

“How do you think you’ll manage good old moody Tobio, Shoyou?” Hinata’s mother asked over lunch.

Hinata swallowed the bite of burger in his mouth. “I think I’ll be fine. I mean, I’ve never met a person I don’t like!” Hinata laughed.

“That’s true.” She inclined her head, her black hair falling to one side. Ms. Hinata was a beautiful Japanese woman with fine black hair and pretty angled eyes. She shrugged, popping a fry in her mouth. “I think you’ll do fine. You know what to do if you encounter any bullies at school, right Hinata?”  
“Yes! Don’t respond to them and offer hugs if they look like they need one!”   
“That’s my boy!” Ms. Hinata smiled. “I’m so proud of you, Shoyou. So, so proud. Coming here, to Japan, all this way away from our little home town… It’s such a big change. You’re handling it well. I’ll miss you loads.”

“Aw, Mom, don’t make that face! I’ll call you everyday, you know that!” Hinata said, feeling upset at seeing his mother’s sad face. He put his hand over hers on the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’ll call twice a day, three times! Please don’t cry.”

Ms. Hinata shook her head. “I’m not crying! You’re crying.”  
“I know I am! That means you need to stop first!”

The little pair burst into laughter. Between muffled giggles, Ms. Hinata wiped the tears away from her eyes.

“You’ll call me twice a day, right?”

“Yes, mom. Of course.”

“Good. Now, don’t forget, America is a day behind Japan, with a few hours give or take.”  
“It’s 14 hours from home! I remember!” Hinata nodded. “I won’t call you too late at night, I promise.”

“Good. Now thats settled, let’s get going! We’re late for our meeting with the Kageyama’s!”  


“So, Ms. Hinata. You moved here from where, again?” The Kageyama family was quiet and reserved and very professional.

Hinata felt uncomfortable, and he had to sit on his hands to stop fidgeting. He didn’t like dealing with people like this, too stiff and unexcited for him.

“Chicago, Illinois. A city in America.”

Mrs. Kageyama nodded. “We are very happy to have you here.”  
“Thank you, I am so happy that you have accepted Hinata into your household.”

Hinata’s eyes roamed around the room. They, Hinata, his mother and Mrs. Kageyama, were all sitting in the living room of the Kageyama household. The room was plain but not necessarily boring, cool colors on the walls and a simple wooden floor.

“Your Japanese is very good, I must say.” Hinata’s attention was drawn back to the calm face of Mrs. Kageyama. “Shoyou, are you fluent as well?”

“Yes ma’am, I am! I practiced really hard to learn to speak it.”

“English is your first language then?”  
“Yupp!”

“Shoyou’s father is American, you see.” Ms. Hinata explained. “Through and through. That’s where Shoyou got his bright hair.”

Hinata blushed. His hair was novelty to his mother; She was very proud that both of her children possessed their father’s orange hair. It was this hair color that made it very hard to hide how little Hinata looked like his mother. He had his mother's gently angled eyes and short stature, but that was about it. His skin tanned easily and was covered in freckles, his hair was naturally curly and very very orange and he had a round face and was a bit on the chubby side, all just like his father.

“He couldn’t come with us, unfortunately. He had to stay at home and look after Natsu, Hinata’s little sister. He also holds a job that he cannot leave for too long. He’s a supervisor of a big company.”

Hinata noticed the tiny impressed smile that appeared on Mrs. Kageyama’s lips.

“I hope to meet him one day.” She said. “If you'll pardon me, I think my son just got home from school.” She stood and walked smoothly out of the room.

Hinata could hear gentle conversation from the other room.

“ _Gosh, mom, I don't know if I can meet another Kageyama today_.” He said in english to his mother.

“ _I know you can. Tobio might end up being your best friend_!” She said in a hopeful voice.

“ _But Mrs. Kageyama had no actual personality... she only got excited when you talked business.”_

_“Did she? I didn't notice.”_

“ _Yeah, she smiled a little bit.”_ Hinata said.

“ _And that's why you'll be good friends with Tobio, Shoyou. You can read people.”_

“Sorry for the delay. This is my son, Tobio.”

Hinata knew right away he would not like Tobio. His face was completely devoid of any welcome or cheer and instead he looked like he was frowning. This guy had a horrible case of resting bitch-face.

Tobio inclined his head in greeting. “Hello.” he said.

“Hi,” Hinata said, smiling. “I'm Hinata shoyou.”

“So I've heard.” Kageyama said. His tone was dismissive. Hinata frowned.

“Sho, why don't you let Kageyama show you around the house? Let us grown ups talk business.” Ms. Hinata suggested, eyes hopeful.

“Yes, that's a good idea.” Ms. Kageyama said in that stiff and emotionless way of hers. “Tobio.” She commanded, and her son nodded.

Hinata got up from the couch and walked over to Tobio, trying to keep a smile on his face. It was kind of hard with Tobio's sour attitude.

“So, Tobio-” Hinata started.

“Don't call me that.”

“What, your name?” Hinata asked.

“You can't call me Tobio. You can call me Kageyama.” Kageyama led them down a hallway.

“Uwah, how boring!” Hinata whined, shoulders sagging. “Fine, then you have to call me Hinata, and you can’t call me Shoyou.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.”

Hinata frowned. This tall dark haired kid was sure a mood killer. “Well I was just going to ask if you liked volleyball a lot. I know you play it but-”

“Of course I love volleyball.” Kageyama said, a smile on his face. It was an unsettling face, but Hinata decided it would probably be better if he didn’t comment on it. “Here is your room,” Kageyama pointed into the room at the left of the hallway. “It’s just a guest bedroom, but it’s yours for the time being. My mother says you can’t put tacks on the wall, so if you hang posters, use tape.”

“Woah, I get this room all to myself?” Hinata said, in awe of the room. It was spacious and clean, a bed tucked in the corner. The windows allowed a generous amount of sunlight in. There was a dresser with a mirror above it, and a little desk. He stepped in, and then turned back to kageyama. “This is great!”

Kageyama tipped his head to the side as if he didn’t understand Hinata’s excitement. He shrugged. “This is my room,” Kageyama said, taking a step back and pushing open the door opposite the hallway to hinatas. “Stay out of it unless I tell you that you have permission to go in there.” Hinata tried to get a peek at what his room looked like, but Kageyama closed the door before he could see much. “ The bathroom is there.” Another pointing hand, at the end of the hallway. “At the other end of the house is the office and my parents room. You are not allowed in either of those rooms.” He said, and his tone was so dead serious Hinata doubted he would ever even _think_ about going in those places. “We have some rules about noise, so no overly loud music or slamming doors. If you slam your door, you'll be in huge trouble, so just don't do it.”

“Waaah, I love slamming doors…” Hinata pouted. He could see Kageyama lift an eyebrow at him. “Fine… Any other rules?”

“Just common decency. Adjust to my schedule quickly and you won't have any issues.”

Hinata looked up at Kageyama, squinting at his face. “ _Your_ schedule? What about your mom's, or your dads?”

Kageyama held his gaze. “My parents are not usually home, they’re off on business trips often. So, that puts me in charge, so yes, _my schedule_.” Hinata felt a shiver run down his spine. God, kageyama is scary!

Hinata sighed. He could feel his jetlag kicking in, and he was just about done with this I-am-god-and-I-hate-you vibe he was getting from Kageyama. “Yes, _sir_ ,” he muttered sarcastically. “I’m gonna go get my bags from the door and put them in my room.” Hinata said, trying to bring back his happy mood.

“I’ll help you,” Kageyama said. Wow, so he did have a kind side. What a surprise. It didn’t take long for Hinata’s few bags to be carried to his new room, he had packed light and intended to go clothes shopping here in Japan as soon as he had time. He decided to right away start putting his belongings into the drawers of his dresser.

“So, do you like volleyball then?” Kageyama asked, his voice kind of timid.

“Yes!” Hinata nearly shouted. He dropped the t-shirt in his hands and jumped in the air. “It’s so much fun, I love spiking, when the ball goes _woosh_ and my stomach goes _fwuah_ and-”

“God, speak Japanese, please. I have no idea what you're saying.” Kageyama crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway. Hinata frowned. He lowered his arms, realizing how excited he had gotten.

“I love volleyball. That’s why I’m here.” Hinata said simply.

“What position?” Kageyama asked.

“Middle blocker.”

“You play middle blocker?” Kageyama raised his eyebrow, a look of disbelief on his face.

“Yeah, what of it?”  
“You're so tiny!” Oh, and there it was.   
“I know I'm short but i jump high!” Hinata defends, face heating up. “I'm really good at it, okay, I jump super high.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Hinata muttered a few English curse words under his breath, something along the lines of _just cause you're a fucking beanstalk doesn’t mean everyone else is,_ but hinata just picked up his shirt again. “My dream is to be ace.” Hinata clutched the shirt to his chest, his eyes lighting up. “The ace is so cool, the corner stone of the team-”

“If you’re going to play at Karasuno, we already have an ace.”

Hinata wanted to scream _stop shitting on my dreams_ at Kageyama, but he felt that wouldn't go well. “You’re so mean, Kageyama.”

Kageyama seemed surprised. “I was just saying we had an ace.”

“You said it in a mean way!”

“No, I didn’t!”

Hinata internally groaned. This kid was mean and he didn’t even realize it!

“Sho?” A voice called from the hallway. It was Ms. Hinata.

“Back here, mom!” Hinata called back.

“Sho, I’m leaving. My flight is in less than an hour.” Ms. Hinata walked into Hinata’s room, holding her arms out for a hug.

“Wah, leaving so soon?” Hinata said, frowning. He hugged his mom tightly. Kageyama looked away, uncomfortable with such shows of affection. Ms. Kageyama was right behind him.

“Yes, Shoyou. Too soon.” She held Hinata even tighter. “ _I love you, Shoyou. I'll miss you. I'll call when my flight lands back in Chicago, alright?_ ” She said, in english. Hinata nodded against her shoulder, fighting back tears. “ _Be strong. You are beautiful and bright. Kick some ass in volleyball for me, okay baby? I love you so much._ ” Ms. Hinata held her son at arm's length, her small hands gripping his shoulders. “You’ll do well here. Kageyama is a nice boy, and Karasuno is a nice school.” She pulled him close again. “Good bye, I'll see you over winter break.”

“ _Bye, mom_ ,” Hinata said quietly, his voice thick. It would be hard to watch her go. Normally, she would have stayed for a few days in Japan, helping Hinata adjust to life here, but because Natsu was home and their father taking days off of work to watch her, she had to return as fast as she could. It wasn't the happiest decision, but Ms. Hinata trusted that Shoyou would be okay. He was a capable young man.

“Bye, sweetie.” Ms. Hinata said. She pressed a kiss to Hinata’s forehead. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She turned to Kageyama and Ms. Kageyama. “Thank you so much, again. I appreciate this more than you know. Good bye.” She said, and she turned and headed for the front door. Ms. Kageyama showed her out.

Kageyama stayed behind with Hinata. Hinata stood in his room, wiping his tears on the t-shirt in his hands.

“Oi, you okay?” Kageyama looked, once again, mildly uncomfortable with the show of emotion.  
“Fine.” Hinata said. He took a deep breath. Goodbyes are hard, but tomorrow was his first day at Karasuno, the day would be full of hello’s and new faces. Hinata would be fine. Hinata smiled up at Kageyama. “I’m great.”

 

Hinata was not great.

It was the morning of his first day of school, and he had woken early- not because he was ready to start the day- but because he was so nervous he felt sick to his stomach. He could feel an uncomfortable pain in his belly. Was he going to throw up? He hoped not.

He rolled over in his bed. It was comfy, it was warm, but he just couldn’t sleep.

What if at school people made fun of him? There are a lot of things Hinata could get made fun of. He was short, he was ginger, he was excitable, he was gullible. He was a new kid. he had to prove himself to a whole new school and a volleyball team. Hinata wasn't that late into the school year, but it had been a month or two since school started. What if there wasn't any room for him any social groups?

Hinata’s stomach made a harsh rumbling noise. he clutched at his belly and hoped the pain would go away.

His worst fear was wrapped up within a few certain words. _You’re a girl, right?_

“Ugh…” Hinata rolled over to face the ceiling. He took a few calming breaths. _It's just school, Shoyou. You’ve gone to school your whole life, in America no less. It will be fine._ He thought to himself. _Besides, you’ll get to play volleyball in the Karasuno gym for the first time._

The thought of playing volleyball soothed his worrying mind, as it always did. He looked out the window, watching the faint sunlight filter in through his blinds.

An alarm went off across the hallway, probably from Kageyama’s room. Was it finally time to get up? Hinata waited until he heard Kageyama’s shuffling footsteps heading to the bathroom to get up. He hopped out of bed and was dressed in only a few moments.

Hinata looked at himself in the mirror. Big brown eyes stared right back at him. His hair was a mess as always, his face freckled as always, the mirror just a bit too high… as always. He would have to ask Kageyama if they could fix that.

“Hey, Kageyama?” Hinata called out into the hallway.

“What.” Was the flat reply. Kageyama was walking out of his room, towel on his head, hair dripping. Had he really showered that fast?

“Oh, good morning. I was wondering what there was to eat for breakfast?”

“You know where the kitchen is. Make something.” Kageyama said, brushing past Hinata.

Wow, Kageyama was not a morning person! Any tiny bit of politeness or decency he had- which was not much- normally was gone. Hinata stuck his tongue out at Kageyama's back.

Hinata wasn't the best cook, but he was able to find some oatmeal in one of the cabinets. He warmed it up, added a little cinnamon that he managed to find, and was happily eating away when Kageyama finally walked into the kitchen.

“We have to leave soon. Were taking a bus. I assume you know how to ride a public bus?” Kageyama said, opening the fridge and pulling out a yogurt cup.

“Of course I have!” Hinata defended, his spoon slamming down into his oatmeal. “I rode one all the time in Chicago, to get to school and back.”

“Good.” Kageyama peeled off the top of the yogurt cup and tossed it in the trash. “When we get to school, I’ll show you around, but I will be attending my classes, and you will find yours on your own.” Kageyama pulled a spoon out of a drawer by his hip and began to eat.

“When do I get to meet the volleyball team?” Hinata asked. He didn’t care about actual classes, he could find them on his own.

“Club practice starts right after school. I'll show you the gym.”

“Hooray!” Hinata shouted. “I can’t wait to meet everyone! I hope the ace is super cool and awesome, if he isn’t, I’ll be thoroughly disappointed!”

Kageyama smirked a bit around his spoonful of yogurt.

“What?” Hinata asked.

“Hm?” Kageyama, looking almost surprised, looked up at hinata.

“What are you smiling at?”

“I’m not smiling.”

“Sure you are! Or you were. Why? Is it something about the ace?” Hinata asked. His oatmeal was getting cold, all but forgotten by his interest in the ace. “He’s cool, right?”

“Well…” Kageyama seemed to think for a moment, a trace of amusement crossing his features. “I guess you could say that.” Kageyama turned and put his yogurt cup in the sink and rinsed it out. “Time to go.”

“Already?!” Hinata leapt up and darted to collect his messenger bag from his room. He threw on a hoodie and darted out to the door where Kageyama was waiting for him, a not too pleased look on his pale face.

That same unhappy face was almost cemented into Kageyama’s facial features throughout most of the bus ride. Hinata had decided to compliment the bus driver, “I love your hair!” and then the bus didn’t leave quite on time because hinata insisted on chatting with the bus driver, then Kageyama had to sit near the window which he hated, and on top of it all, he had to share a seat with Hinata. And Hinata talked too much. Kageyama tried his best to ignore him, but it was hard.

“Well, you’ll have to show me where the nurse is, because I get so nervous sometimes that I-”

“Please, _shut up_.” Kageyama practically growled at Hinata.

Hinata frowned, looking hurt. “Fine.” Hinata sat back in his seat and crossed his arms. Kageyama was so _rude_! Hinata was just making sure Kageyama knew what to highlight in his tour of the school. It was important. It was his job as host to show his guest around!

Hinata figured he wouldn’t get along that well with Kageyama, but it was like Kageyama wasn’t even _trying_ to be his friend.

Hinata soon grew restless. He was too hyperactive to sit in complete silence for a bus ride. He didn’t even know how long the bus ride was going to be!

He crossed his legs, then uncrossed them. He shifted in his seat, it was always slightly uncomfortable. He memorized the pattern of the fabric on the seat in front of him, which reminded him of vomit. He fidgeted with the buttons on his bag. He bounced his leg up and down. Hinata sighed loudly. He was so bored!

Hinata glanced at Kageyama out of the corner of his eye. Eyebrows furrowed, Kageyama was practically glaring out of the bus window, his head resting on the glass.

“Hey, Kageyama, are you good at volleyball?”

Kageyama turned to Hinata. “Yes.”

“You hesitated.”

“I’m perfectly fine at volleyball!” Kageyama defended. “I’m a prodigy!”

“When did they last tell you that, middle school?” Hinata smirked. For some reason it was fun to push Kageyama's buttons. His reactions were always so quick. Besides, if he wouldn’t be happy, why not make him really mad?

“Shut up!” Kageyama snarled. “I’m a great player. The team, though, they don't work well with me so I, uh…”

“You don't play a lot, do you.”

Kageyama looked away. His blue eyes were blazing with a strong emotion, but Hinata couldn’t place his finger on exactly what emotion it was. “I’m a setter but… There’s another setter. A third year. He works well with the other players and he usually gets to play more often. He’s more consistent than me.”

“A volleyball team is about _teamwork_ , Kageyama! You probably can’t work with the other team members because you’re so stand offish and rude.” Hinata pointed out.

“I am not rude!” Kageyama shot back. “They just can’t hit my serves fast enough. No one can jump high enough. I mean sometimes they can, but it’s a goddamn miracle when they do.”

Hinata knew very well how high he could jump. He could jump high enough that his chest was level with the top of a professional volleyball net, he could practically _fly_.

“I can jump high enough.” Hinata said, excitement building in his chest. He leaned forward. “Toss to me today, I’ll show you!”

Kageyama’s face went blank. “You? _You_ can jump high enough for my tosses?” Behind his bangs, Kageyama’s eyes held a tiny spark of excitement that he had finally found someone he could toss to. It wasn’t really possible, was it?

“Yes! I already told you this!” Hinata squinted up at Kageyama's pale face. “You don’t believe me!”

“Of course I don’t.” Kageyama rolled his eyes.

“I guess we’ll have to see at practice today, won’t we.” Hinata challenged. Kageyama’s blue eyes met Hinata’s brown ones, and Kageyama took the challenge with a smirk.

“I guess we will. I won’t be impressed though.”

“Hmph.” Hinata sat back, arms crossed, his leg shaking up and down. Hinata could not wait until after school when he could show Kageyama how capable he was. The end of the day would not come soon enough.


	2. Into the Gym

Kageyama didn’t give much of a tour of the school. He showed Hinata to his first class room, and then when Hinata wasn’t looking, he left. Hinata only felt a bit disappointed. Shrugging it off, he just summed it up to that being Kageyama’s personality.

His first class was English. Easy enough. English was his first language. He knew later he would have to take a Japanese class, that would be much harder for him.

The class was sleepy, the classroom sunny with the light from the big windows, the teacher a tiny lady with a kind smile.

“Hinata, please introduce yourself to the class.” She said. 

Hinata ignored the nervous feeling in his stomach and stood beside his desk. “Uh, hello. My name is Shoyou Hinata, and um, I came to Karasuno from America to play volleyball. Thank you for having me.” He sat back down, his hands pulling at his shirt. 

The class twittered. _ America _ , they asked? No way.

“Well, Hinata, thank you for joining us here. Now, if I am correct, you know English quite well, don’t you?”

“Yes ma’am.” Hinata nodded, orange hair bouncing slightly.

“Why don't you say something in english then?” The class grew excited.

“Oh, um,” Hinata's face grew warm. “ _ Hi, my name is Hinata and I will probably pass this class, and only this class, with flying colors. Forgive me, teacher, if i correct you on your English. _ ” He said, smiling.

The class seemed impressed. Good, Hinata thought, that was a good first impression. The teacher clapped her hands. 

“That’s great! It will be a pleasure to have you in class, Hinata.”

 

The rest of his classes went basically the same.

His math class complimented his hair, his science class had a great sense of humor and laughed often, his history class inviting. Each class he had to introduce himself. He did, but each time he said something after his basic hello in English. Every class was in awe. Since he was only a first year, a lot of his fellow classmates had not yet learned English, so it was easy to impress them. His phrases were short and basic, “ _ I will probably fail this math class _ ” or “ _ I have a bad habit of catching things on fire in class, don't let me near the burners _ ”.

Hinata ended the day in a pleasant mood. All of his classes seemed manageable if not friendly. 

But finally, school was over, and it was time for after school activities.

Hinata’s heart was thumping wildly in his chest as he ran around the school, looking for the gym or Kageyama.

He found the gym first. It was outside, a little way away from the school. His heart began to beat excitedly in his chest and he ran a little faster towards it, ready to burst inside and see his new gym. 

“Hinata!” A sharp voice called out to him, and he stopped in his tracks and looked around. It was Kageyama, jogging towards the gym doors. Hinata watched him as he approached. “There you are,” He said, not even sounding a little bit out of breath. 

“Hi, Kageyama.” Hinata said impatiently. He wanted to be in the gym, right now! He didn’t have time for Kageyama to casually walk his way.

“How was your day?” Kageyama tried for polite small talk, and Hinata could almost tell it was painful for Kageyama. His face looked like he had just smelled something awful.

“It was fine.” Hinata hardly engaged his attempt to be nice, knowing it would be better if they didn’t try for it.  “Come on! I want to see the gym!” Hinata bounced on his feet. 

“Idiot, you have to wait for Captain to show up to unlock the gym. We’re both early,” Kageyama said, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t worry, I knew this would happen, so I came early.” A voice came from behind them. Kageyama and Hinata turned. It was a tall, strong looking man with a playful smile.

“You must be Shoyou Hinata, right?” He asked. Hinata nodded eagerly.

“Yes! Nice to meet you!” 

“I’m Sawamura Daichi, third year. I’m Karasuno’s volleyball team captain. Nice to meet you.” Daichi smiled warmly. Daichi stood taller than Hinata and had much broader shoulders than Kageyama. His face was gently tanned and he had a spray of freckles across his nose. To top it off, his eyes were kind and his smile was welcoming. Hinata liked him instantly.

“Waaa, the captain! Awesome!” Hinata shouted. “Captains are so cool!”

Daichi chuckled. “I’m glad you think so.” Daichi tilted his head. “Kageyama, thanks for leading Hinata to the gym.” 

“I didn’t really lead him, he just kind of found his way here.” Kageyama said, his voice nearly monotone.

Daichi smiled again as if he was impressed with Hinata’s drive to be in the club. “Alright, you ready to see the gym, Hinata?” Daichi pulled the keyring out of his pocket and twirled it around his finger.

“Yes! Yes!” Hinata shouted, jumping excitedly.

Daichi walked past Hinata and unlocked the doors with a gentle jangling of keys. Daichi slid the door open and the room behind it was revealed.

“Shoes off, please,” Daichi gently reminded Hinata before he could jump into the gym.

“Right!” Hinata said. He had almost forgotten. He switched his shoes and followed Kageyama and Daichi into the gym, looking around excitedly.    
“It’s so big!” Hinata said. “The gyms at my old school were much smaller.” Hinata said. He could remember a dimly lit, gray gym with worn wood floors. Not very exciting. But this gym, this new safe haven, this was big and bright and everything Hinata could have ever hoped for.

“The rest of the team will be here soon, they’re very excited to meet you.” Daichi said, smiling amusedly at Hinata’s excited face.

“Really?” Hinata said, feeling his heart swell. They had been waiting for him? Could this day get any better?

“I wasn’t.” Kageyama said, and just like that, his mood took a nosedive.

“Rude!” Hinata said. Kageyama just shrugged.

“I see he didn’t have any change in heart,” Daichi muttered unhappily. “Sorry about him, he’s kind of always been like this... you’re staying at his house while you’re here in Japan, right?”   
“Unfortunately,” Hinata grumbled back. Daichi nodded as if he could sympathize with Hinata.

“Hello!” A sing song voice caught Hinata’s attention.

“Oh, look, it’s Suga.” Daichi said almost too eagerly, like he had been waiting for the pale haired boy to arrive. “Hey-”   
“NEW KID!!!” A cry erupted from the door, startling Hinata half to death. He was surprised to find a kid with closely shaved hair pointing directly at him, his eyes ablaze.

“Uh… Hi?” Hinata said sheepishly, waving.

“An American city boy, aren’t you?” The freaky kid said, walking closer. His face was all crunched up and he was practically baring his teeth. “I bet you are, just look at-”   
“Tanaka.” Daichi grabbed the back of his jacket and threw baldy back to the door and away from Hinata. “Stop scaring him.”

Tanaka relaxed, but kept his sharp eyes on Hinata. “But it’s what I do to all the new kids…” He pouted.

“Well, stop it.” Said the pale haired kid as he walked into the gym behind Tanaka. “Hi, Daichi.” He greeted, and Daichi looked like he had just swallowed sunshine, he looked so happy. His freckled face could barely hide it. “Hello, you must be Hinata?” The boy smiled gently and Hinata knew he would like him just as much as he liked Daichi. He had a pretty face, pale skin and a little beauty mark below his eye that Hinata thought was quite cute.

“Yes, thats me! Nice to meet you!” 

“My name is Suga. Hey, where is Kageyama?” Suga asked, his eyebrows drawing together as he looked around the gym. 

“Probably somewhere sulking, like he always is.” Daichi sighed.

“Maybe we can let him serve today, with Hinata. He needs the practice.” Suga pleaded. His voice had grown softer, as if he knew Daichi would turn him down.

“Kageyama can’t handle other people, Suga, we don’t need to leave Hinata with a bad impression of our skills as a team.”

“Daichi, how is he supposed to get any better?” Suga had big gray eyes, Hinata noticed. Large round eyes that apparently were a weakness for Daichi, because Daichi sighed, looking away.

“Fine. Just for a little.” Daichi still wouldn't look suga in the face. “But if he throws a tantrum, you're taking his place right away.”

“Sounds fair,” Suga said. “Hey, why don’t we play a game? Just a small one. As a warm up to help bring Hinata truly into our team, Daichi, please?” Hinata watched as Daichi took a deep breath.

“Fine, suga, but you're organizing the teams when everyone gets here.”

“Okay!” Suga clapped his hands. “Hey, Hinata, are you okay with playing with Kageyama?”

Hinata thought back on his promise to Kageyama made earlier that day.  _ I can jump high enough for your tosses, just you wait. _

“Yeah, I'm okay with that!”

“Oh good. Since I'm a setter too, I won’t be able to play on your team.” Suga said, with an apologetic smile. 

A setter? he must have been the one Kageyama was talking about on the bus. The kind one that worked well with the rest of the team. It made sense.

“Good luck with him.” Daichi said. He crossed his muscled arms. “Kageyama had a bad reputation in middle school. Still kind of does.”

Suga slapped Daichi across the shoulder. “Stop that! Kageyama is a very talented player, you know that.” Behind them two new guys walked into the gym. A boy with freckles and a grin, and a tall, tall, so very tall, blond guy.

“He’s right, though, isn’t he?” Said blondie as he stepped past daichi. “Kageyama will always be the king of the court.”

“But the king of the court would be an awesome thing, wouldn’t it?” Hinata asked. He wished he had a cool nickname like ‘king’. He only got names like ‘shortie’.

“Not always.” Said a sullen voice. Kageyama once again stood behind him, his blue eyes dark. Hinata raised his eyebrows, but Kageyama didn’t explain further, he just kept glaring at the tall guy.

Blond guy smirked right back at him, a condescending air about him, a face that could spoil milk.

“Tsukishima, we’ve talked about the names.” Daichi said, sighing impatiently.

Tsukishima just rolled his eyes and went to go set his bag down, his freckled friend following closely behind.

“That’s Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, Hinata. They're the same age as you.” Suga explained. “They are new to the club this year, just like you.”

Hinata nodded, but he wasn’t excited to meet his peers. He didn’t like the way Tsukishima had looked at him. It had felt for a moment like he was a tiny bug pinned down to a board.

“Well, let's begin warm ups then! After that we can start a game.” Suga said, clapping his hands. The team went out to set up the gym, and Hinata’s first day of Volleyball at Karasuno had officially begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didnt have anyone beta this please forgive me if there are mistakes   
> anyway i hope i didnt forget any of the members! Asahi and noya will show up a little bit later, youll see why soon :3cc


	3. The First game

“Daichi, nice receive!” 

The game had begun, and Hinata could barely contain his excitement. Teams were split up, the gym was set up and the team had done their warm ups. The teams consisted of 3 people, Kageyama, Hinata and Tanaka; and Tsukishima, Yamaguchi and Daichi. Suga stood off to the side to keep score. Hinata didn’t even begin to know how these people played, and he knew it would take some time to adjust to the team’s dynamic, but he was just bursting with excitement. Trying to contain his smile almost hurt.

His brown eyes traced the ball spinning through the air, heading over the net to his side. Tanaka caught it, tossed it to kageyama, and there was his chance! 

“Kageyama!” Hinata called out, running into place, ready to spike the ball over the net. But before he even got there, Kageyama had smoothly tossed the ball to tanaka. Hinata didn’t even try to jump. The ball slammed into the ground on the other side. Hinata felt disappointment fill his throat, and he frowned, looking at the dark haired setter. “Kageyama, why didn't you toss to me? I could have gotten it.” Kageyama slowly turned to face the angry redhead. 

“I'd rather toss to tanaka. Besides, we still scored that point, what does it matter?” 

It meant  _ everything  _ that he wasn't being tossed to, but Kageyama just wouldn’t understand. Hinata didn't even try to make a biting remark.

“Just, give me a chance, okay? I can hit it. I told you, I can jump.” Hinata was confident in his ability to launch himself sky high.

“So you’ve said.” Kageyama’s dark hair was still lying smooth against his head, unbothered by the sports rigorous game, unlike Hinatas curls that bounced every which way. “I haven't seen a single reason to toss to you yet, though. Tanaka has many reasons to be tossed to.”

On the other side of the net, Daichi was unhappily listening in. This was the kind of uncooperative attitude that Daichi benched Kageyama for. 

“Oi, toss to the squirt too!” Tanaka said, roaring from behind Kageyama. Hinata flinched, surprised by the loud voice.

He also could  _ not _ believe that there was a word for the horrible name ‘squirt’ in Japanese too.

“No.” Kageyama was completely unbothered by Tanaka’s angry face, only a few feet infront of his own. He was probably used to it.

Tanaka reared his fist up, shaking it in Kageyama’s face. “WHY YOU SELF CENTERED BASTARD, I OUGHTA-”

“Kageyama, it seems you’d love to repeat your middle school years, aye king?” The tall blond from the other side of the net sneered, looking down his nose condescendingly.

Hinata felt his insides churn at the horrible look Tsukishima was giving kageyama. Even though he wasn't even the one being glared at, Tsukishima’s cold eyes made Hinata feel like he was being exposed and scrutinized.

“Wanna be all by yourself again, you little monarch?” Tsukishima’s blond hair dipped as he bent down a little to almost  _ coo _ at kageyama.

“That is  _ enough _ .” Daichi said, his thundering voice cutting off Kageyama’s biting reply. He looked so sick of this, like it happened everyday, and it probably did. Hinata felt sorry for him. “Tsukishima, shut the hell up before I bench you.”   
Tsukishima rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything else, the threat effective.

“Kageyama, you have to toss to Hinata at least once before this set is over.” Daichis brown eyes were livid. “Do you understand?”

“Yeah.” Kageyama’s lips were pressed into a thin white line. He was clearly unhappy with the situation. Hinata’s previous excitement grew again, Daichi had promised at least one toss for him!

The game began again, and once more, Kageyama did not toss to him. 

It was always a sharp “Tanaka!” Followed by a smooth pass to the excited boy. Sometimes the toss wouldn’t land, missing Tanakas strong arm and sailing out of the boundary line. Hinata would go running up, jumping half-heartedly, hoping the toss would come to him, but no matter what, it didn't. Kageyama even tried tossing the ball directly over the net, avoiding Hinata and Tanaka both. 

Their little team of three got blocked often. Tanaka’s hits were strong, but Tsukishima was very tall. A wall loomed in front of Hinata, and he had to get through it. 

If only he could get a  _ single toss. _

Kageyama didn’t toss to him. And he didn’t. And he didn't. Again. And again. And  _ again.  _ Point by point, the two teams fought, usually only a point or two behind each other. Every single toss was not to Hinata, and he was growing agitated. He was super close to shouting at Kageyama’s dumb face. 

“ _ Freaking asshole, I swear to god. _ ” Hinata muttered, walking away from yet another scored point by Tanaka’s hands. “ _ Just one freaking toss is all I’m asking. Give me a chance. _ ” He was muttering in angry english to himself, but it wasn't helping suppress his rage.

“Oi, Hinata!” Tanaka was laughing. “Calm down.”

Feeling like he had just been caught doing something illegal, Hinata blushed. “Sorry.”

“It's fine, little dude, but I do understand enough english to get what you're saying.” Hinata blushed even redder. He hadn’t even thought about the people around him understanding him. For a panicked second, Hinata realized that Kageyama might know enough english to understand him like Tanaka had.

“Ahaha, don't worry!  _ Kageyama does not understand a bit of english. He has next to no study habit!” _ Tanaka reassured Hinata, in close to perfect english. Hinata smiled.

“ _ And you do have good studying habits _ ?” Hinata asked, raising an eyebrow.

“ _ Not even close, short stuff. English is just good with the ladies. _ ” Tanakas rich laugh echoed in the gym, and Hinata felt himself smiling back.

“Oi, what are you two talking about?” Kageyama demanded.

“Nothing.” Hinata said, clearly lying. “Toss to me.” He said instead.

Kageyama just fixed Hinata with a cold gaze, his blue eyes unwavering. Hinata could feel his tension rising, he just wanted to punch Kageyama as hard as he could.

“Toss to me.” Hinata repeated himself. Kageyama rolled his eyes and turned away without answering.

It was a set point, if his team did make this point they would win the set, and since they didn’t have enough time for a full game, they would win the whole game. Hinata believed he could do it. He  _ had _ to.

“Tanaka, nice serve!”

The hope and near desperation rose in Hinata’s chest as the last ball was about to be served. Tanaka dribbled the ball a few times, bouncing it off the floor.

“Get ready!” Tanaka shouted, throwing the ball up in the air. Tanaka served the ball in a smooth arc over the net. The ball was easily received by Daichi, tossed over the net again, and Tanaka managed to keep it in the air with a shaky receive. The ball went flying high in the air, easily ready to be set by Kageyama. 

Hinata felt his heart stop. This was it. It had to be. He inhaled sharply as Kageyama's hands went up in their familiar position, ready to set the ball. 

“Kageyama!” Hinata shouted as loud as he could, running forward at his top speed. He had all this energy stored up, just waiting to be used, and Hinata could feel it pushing against the back of his teeth. Kageyama tossed, hinata jumped as high as he could, and it all happened like Hinata had hoped it to. The ball was a bit low, but still smacked satisfyingly against his hand. He sent it flying down in a sharp line. Hinata landed on the ground, sneakers squeaking against the floor. The ball bounced away, completely unexpected by blockers and easily counting the winning point.

“We won! Set point! Woohoo!!” Hinata jumped around, throwing his hands in the air. He expected an uproar, but it was almost dead silent as he lowered his hands back to his sides. “...What?” All eyes were on him, wide and gaping.   
“Damn, Hinata, you didn’t tell us you could jump that high!” Tanaka was the first to break the silence, clapping Hinata on the back. “For a second, I thought you had like, been launched in the air, or that I was imagining things! You can really fly, kid!”

“What the hell?” Kageyama asked. 

“I said I could jump, stupid!” Hinata said, crossing his arms.

“But it all happened so fast, I…” Kageyama seemed at a loss for words. He looked down at his hands, opening and closing his fists. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me it would be that fast? I almost missed it!” He demanded, his pale features rippling with anger as he looked back up at Hinata.

“I hit the ball, didn’t I? We won, why doesn’t that matter to you?”

“Hinata, that was amazing!” A happy voice sapped away all of Hinata’s anger, replacing it with pure enthusiasm once more. Suga smiled at Hinata, walking across the court. “Can all americans jump that high?”

“No, no, I was a novelty even in america.”   
“Don't get cocky, kid!” Tanaka laughed. Hinata blushed happily. 

“Yeah, hinata, you've got some raw talent.” Daichi further complimented Hinata, walking under the net and standing next to suga. “I’m proud to have you here.” Daichi offered his hand, and hinata happily took it, shaking it with vigor.

______

“ _ Today was fantastic! _ ” Hinata’s excited voice echoed off the streets as he and Kageyama walked home from practice. He spoke quickly and excitedly into his phone. “ _ Classes look great, and the volleyball club welcomed me very happily. Kageyama is kinda rude, honestly. Anyway, i know you’re sleeping, goodnight! I love you! Bye Momma! _ ” Hinata clicked the end call button, leaving a voicemail for his mother. He didn’t know if she had gotten back home yet, but he felt it important to leave a message after his first day at school.

Hinata hung up, sliding his phone into his pocket. “Waaah, I’m tired.” He sighed, blinking his eyes, trying to shake the wave of exhaustion that had just hit him.

“Its only 5:30.” Kageyama said. Kageyama was back to being emotionless, the previous anger left on the court. He looked bored.

“I’m still on america time, silly.” Hinata said. “I didn’t sleep well enough last night too. Ahh.” Hinata sighed, he really was tired.

Kageyama grunted his acknowledgement, not giving a proper response or even looking at hinata.

“So, uh,” Hinata tried, unhappy with the silence that was quickly falling. “Why does that blond guy hate you so much?”

“Tsukishima?” Kageyama’s mask of boredom grew to look slightly agitated.

“Yeah, him. What’s he got against you?”   
“He’s a real dumbass, I don’t know.” Kageyama shrugged. Hinata rolled his eyes. There was obviously  _ something  _ up with those two, but Kageyama was probably too thick-headed to notice what the actual problem was.

“Why does he call you king?” And oh, Hinata struck a nerve with that one, Kageyama was glaring ahead now instead of blankly staring.

“No reason.”   
“You’re a terrible liar! Tell me! Come on, King is a super cool nickname, I wish I had a nickname like that, all I have is shortie-”

“King is not a cool nickname.” Kageyama interrupted, his tone serious.

Hinata frowned. “But why not?” His question was only met with silence. “Kageyama, you can’t just not answer me.”

Silence. For the rest of the walk home, Hinata was fighting off his sticky sleepy feeling, and the disappointment of Kageyama’s unwillingness to talk with him.


End file.
